Dwight Frye (1899-1943)

Scott Essman and Eric Hoffman Collections

Dwight Frye in "Frankenstein." Before the horror: Frye appeared on Broadway in several productions in the 1920s and continued to work in New York theater while appearing in films in Hollywood. Iconic Universal roles: Known as "The Man with the Thousand Watt Stare" and "The Man of a Thousand Deaths," Frye became typecast as mentally unbalanced characters in Universal horror films after making his mark as the fly-eating madman Renfield opposite Bela Lugosi in 1931's "Dracula." The same year, he also played Dr. Frankenstein's hunchbacked assistant Fritz, who takes the wrong brain in "Frankenstein." (Marty Feldman brilliantly sent up the character in Mel Brooks' 1974 comedy "Young Frankenstein.") Frye also played Karl, a henchman of the ruthless Dr. Pretorius in 1935's "Bride of Frankenstein." He appeared in smaller parts in 1942's "The Ghost of Frankenstein" and 1943's "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man." Memorable quote: "Rats. Rats. Rats! Thousands! Millions of them! All red blood! All these will I give you if you will obey me." ("Dracula")

Dwight Frye in "Frankenstein." Before the horror: Frye appeared on Broadway in several productions in the 1920s and continued to work in New York theater while appearing in films in Hollywood. Iconic Universal roles: Known as "The Man with the Thousand Watt Stare" and "The Man of a Thousand Deaths," Frye became typecast as mentally unbalanced characters in Universal horror films after making his mark as the fly-eating madman Renfield opposite Bela Lugosi in 1931's "Dracula." The same year, he also played Dr. Frankenstein's hunchbacked assistant Fritz, who takes the wrong brain in "Frankenstein." (Marty Feldman brilliantly sent up the character in Mel Brooks' 1974 comedy "Young Frankenstein.") Frye also played Karl, a henchman of the ruthless Dr. Pretorius in 1935's "Bride of Frankenstein." He appeared in smaller parts in 1942's "The Ghost of Frankenstein" and 1943's "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man." Memorable quote: "Rats. Rats. Rats! Thousands! Millions of them! All red blood! All these will I give you if you will obey me." ("Dracula") (Scott Essman and Eric Hoffman Collections)

Dwight Frye in "Frankenstein." Before the horror: Frye appeared on Broadway in several productions in the 1920s and continued to work in New York theater while appearing in films in Hollywood. Iconic Universal roles: Known as "The Man with the Thousand Watt Stare" and "The Man of a Thousand Deaths," Frye became typecast as mentally unbalanced characters in Universal horror films after making his mark as the fly-eating madman Renfield opposite Bela Lugosi in 1931's "Dracula." The same year, he also played Dr. Frankenstein's hunchbacked assistant Fritz, who takes the wrong brain in "Frankenstein." (Marty Feldman brilliantly sent up the character in Mel Brooks' 1974 comedy "Young Frankenstein.") Frye also played Karl, a henchman of the ruthless Dr. Pretorius in 1935's "Bride of Frankenstein." He appeared in smaller parts in 1942's "The Ghost of Frankenstein" and 1943's "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man." Memorable quote: "Rats. Rats. Rats! Thousands! Millions of them! All red blood! All these will I give you if you will obey me." ("Dracula")